Johnston County Literary and Historical Journal Published

Press Release

Smithfield, NC, March 18, 2024:

The Johnston County Heritage Center recently published a second edition of the Johnston County Literary and Historical Journal. The book includes contributions by 22 writers. It is on sale in the Johnston County Museum for $30.

“These poems, short stories, and essays are entertaining, inspiring, informative, heart-warming, and thought-provoking,” says Heritage Center Director and co-editor Todd Johnson. “There is even a recipe for mouth-watering sweet potato biscuits.”

Dorothy LaMotta of the Cleveland community is co-editor and a contributing author. The Journal is funded in part by the Cynthia DeFord Adams Literary Fund. It is dedicated to Dr. Shelby Stephenson, a member of the NC Literary Hall of Fame and former NC Poet Laureate, and one of Stephenson’s poems is included in the book.

The Johnston County Museum is located at 329 E. Market Street, Smithfield. The book may be ordered from the Heritage Center’s Online Gift Shop, www.jcheritagecenter.org. For more information, call the museum at 919-938-5912, or send an email to heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com. 

Left to right: Jericho Avery, Cynthia Gary, Tyler Stocks, Sherwood Williford, Rose Cushing, Barbara Crowley,
Alex Steinmann, Dorothy LaMotta, Alison Hendrix, Dr. Wanda Robinson-Lee, KeAnne Hoeg,
Char Vinar, Hope Dougherty, Evelyn Wool, Joe Austin, and Dr. Shelby Stephenson

Not pictured: Teresa McLamb Blackmon, Cindy Brookshire, T. C. Carter, Kevin Dublin, Barbara
Baker Elliott, and Michael Markoff